In December, Memphis Zoo in Tennessee said that it would return Ya Ya, who arrived in the US in 2003. After her 20-year loan period (租借期限) ended on April 7, Ya Ya finally returned home from the US 20 days later.
China prepared to welcome back Ya Ya and experts (专家) from the Beijing Zoo arrived in the US in March to learn about her habits and feeding situation from the zoo workers.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the quarantine (检疫) and feeding places for Ya Ya were ready along with her feeding plans and medical care.
In January, visitors found that Ya Ya became thin, making many Chinese and foreign animal lovers worry about her health. Actually, Ya Ya had been well cared for since being lent to the Memphis Zoo in the United States in 2003, and no unhealthy signs had been found, based on videos of the giant panda and monthly health reports.
Once Ya Ya finished a 30-day quarantine in Shanghai after landing in China, she then was sent to the Beijing Zoo.
The news that Ya Ya is coming back to China has cheered up millions of Chinese people. By April 9, a topic about Ya Ya received 250 million likes. "Come home soon, Ya Ya. I'll go to see you in the zoo even if I have to wait in line all day long!" an Internet user said on Sina Weibo.
